hr.thecarpetbaggers-第31部分
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The doors rolled open again and I stepped out。 〃All right； Amos；〃 I asked。 〃What is it？〃
We walked over to a couch and sat down。 〃I need another ten thousand；〃 he said。
I stared at him。 No wonder he was always broke。 He spent it faster than they could print it。 〃What happened to all the cash you got for your stock？〃
An embarrassed expression crossed his face。 〃It's gone；〃 he said。 〃You know how much I owed。〃
I knew。 He owed everybody。 By the time he got through with his creditors and his ex…wives； I could see where the fifty grand had gone。 I was beginning to feel sorry I'd included him in the deal but I'd thought he'd be able to contribute something to the pany。 At one time； he was one of the best designers of aircraft in the country。
〃Your contract doesn't provide for advances like that；〃 I said。
〃I know；〃 he answered。 〃But this is important。 It won't happen again； I promise。 It's for Monica。〃
〃Monica？〃 I looked at him。 This was going to be good。 〃What about her？〃
He shook his head。 〃I want to send her to her mother in England。 She's too much for me。 I can't control her any more。 She's seeing some guy on the sly and I have a feeling if she isn't balling him already； she soon will be。〃
For a moment； I stared at him。 I wondered if this wasn't a gentle form of blackmail。 It could be that he already knew and was taking this way of letting me know。 〃Do you know the guy？〃
He shook his head。 〃If I did； I'd kill him；〃 he said vehemently。 〃A nice sweet innocent kid like her。〃
I kept my face impassive。 Love is blind but parents are blinder。 Even a cheater like Amos； with all his knowledge； was no smarter than Joe Doakes in Pomona。 〃You talk to her？〃
He shook his head again。 〃I tried but she won't listen。 You know how kids are nowadays。 They learn everything in school； you can't teach them anything。 When she was sixteen； I found a package of Merry Widows in her pocketbook。〃
He should have stopped her then。 He was about three years too late。 She was nineteen now and carried her own brass ring。 〃Guys like you never learn。〃
〃What was I supposed to do？〃 he asked truculently。 〃Keep her locked in her room？〃
I shook my head。 〃You could have tried being her father。〃
〃What makes you such an expert？〃 he snapped。 〃You won't talk like that after you have kids of your own。〃
I could have told him。 I had a father who was too busy with his own life； too。 But I was tired。 I got to my feet。
〃What about the money？〃 he asked anxiously。
〃I'll give it to you；〃 I said。 A feeling of disgust suddenly came up in me。 What did I need guys like this around me for？ They were like leeches。 Once they got into you； they never let go。 〃As a matter of fact； I'll give you twenty…five thousand。〃
An expression of surprised relief flooded across his face。 〃You will； Jonas？〃
I nodded。 〃On one condition。〃
For the first time； caution came into his eyes。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I want your resignation。〃
〃From Winthrop Aircraft？〃 His voice was incredulous。
〃From Cord Aircraft；〃 I said pointedly。
The color began to drain from his face。 〃But… but I started the pany。 I know everything about it。 I was just planning a new plane that the Army will sure as hell go for… 〃
〃Take the money； Amos；〃 I said coldly。 〃You've had it。〃 I started for the elevator。 I stepped inside and the boy closed the doors in his face。 〃Going up； Mr。 Cord？〃 he asked。
I stared at him。 That was a stupid question。 What other way was there to go？
〃All the way；〃 I said wearily。
Monica was lying across the bed in the tops of my pajamas； half asleep。 She opened her eyes and looked at me。 〃Everything go all right？〃
I nodded。
She watched me as I threw my shirt across a chair。 〃What did Daddy want？〃
I stepped out of my trousers and caught the pajama bottoms she threw at me。 〃He just turned in his resignation；〃 I said； kicking off my shorts and getting into the pajamas。
She sat up in bed； her brown eyes widening in surprise。 〃He did？〃
I nodded。
〃I wonder why？〃
I looked at her。 〃He said it had something to do with you。 That he wanted more time to be your father。〃
She stared at me for a moment； then began to laugh。 〃Well； I'll be damned；〃 she said。 〃All my life I wanted him to pay some kind of attention to me and now； when I don't need him any more； he suddenly wants to play daddy。〃
〃Don't need him any more？〃
She nodded。 〃Not any more。 Ever；〃 she said slowly。 She came off the bed and laid her head against my chest。 Her voice was a childlike whisper of confidence。 〃Not now that I have you。 You're everything to me … father； brother； lover。〃
I stroked her soft brown hair slowly。 Suddenly； a surge of sympathy came up inside me。 I knew how alone you could be when you were nineteen。
Her eyes were closed and there were faintly blue weary hollows in the soft white flesh beneath them。 I pressed my lips lightly to her forehead。 〃e to bed； child；〃 I said gently。 〃It's almost morning。〃
She was asleep in a moment； her head resting on my shoulder； her neck in the crook of my arm。 For a long time； I couldn't fall asleep。 I lay there looking down at her quiet face as the sun came up and light spilled into the room。
Damn Amos Winthrop！ Damn Jonas Cord！ I cursed all men who were too busy and self…centered to be fathers to their children。
I began to feel weariness seep through me。 Half asleep； I felt her move beside me and the warmth of her long； graceful body flowed down along my side。 Then sleep came。 The dark； starless night of wonderful sleep。
We were married the next evening at the Little Chapel in Reno。
4
I SAW THE GLEAMING PHOSPHORESCENCE MOVING in the water and flicked the fly gaily across the stream just over the trout。 The instinct came up in me。 I knew I had him。 Everything was right。 The water； the flickering shadows from the trees lining the bank； the bottle…blue； green and red tail of the fly at the end of my line。 Another moment and the bastard would strike。 I set myself when I heard Monica's voice from the bank behind me。
〃Jonas！〃
Her voice shattered the stillness and the trout dived for the bottom of the stream。 The fly began to drag and before I turned around； I knew the honeymoon was over。
〃What is it？〃 I growled。
She stood there in a pair of shorts； her knees red and her nose peeling。 〃There's a telephone call for you。 From Los Angeles。〃
〃Who？〃
〃I don't know；〃 she answered。 〃It's a woman。 She didn't give her name。〃
I looked back at the stream。 There were no lights in the water。 The fish were gone。 That was the end of it。 The fishing was over for the day。
I started toward the bank。 〃Tell her to hold on；〃 I said。 〃I'll be up there in a minute。〃
She nodded and started back to the cabin。 I began to reel in the line。 I wondered who could be calling me。 Not many people knew about the cabin in the hills。
When I was a kid； I used to e up here with Nevada。 My father always intended to e along but he never did make it。
I came out of the stream and trudged up the path。 It was late in the afternoon and the evening sounds were just beginning。 Through the trees I could hear the crickets beginning their song。
I laid the rod alongside the outside wall of the cabin and went inside。 Monica was sitting in a chair near the telephone； turning the pages of a magazine。 I picked up the phone。 〃Hello。〃
〃Mr。 Cord？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Just a moment；〃 the operator sang。 〃Los Angeles； your party is on the wire。〃
I heard a click； then a familiar voice。 〃Jonas？〃
〃Rina？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃I've been trying to get you for three days。 Nobody would tell me where you were； then I thought of the cabin。〃
〃Great；〃 I said； looking over the telephone at Monica。 She was looking down at the magazine but I knew she was listening。
〃By the way；〃 Rina said in that low； husky voice。 〃Congratulations。 I hope you'll be very happy。 Your bride's a very pretty girl。〃
〃You know her？〃
〃No；〃 Rina answered quickly。 〃I saw the pictures in the papers。〃
〃Oh；〃 I said。 〃Thanks。 But that isn't why you called。〃
〃No； it's not；〃 she said with her usual directness。 〃I need your help。〃
〃If it's another ten you need； I can always let you have it。〃
〃It's for more money than that。 Much more。〃
〃How much more？〃
〃Two million dollars。〃
〃What？〃 I all but yelled。 〃What the hell do you need that much money for？〃
〃It's not for myself；〃 she said。 Her voice sounded very upset。 〃It's for Nevada。 He's in a bind。 He's about to lose everything he's got。〃
〃But I thought he was doing great。 The papers say he's making a half million dollars a year。〃
〃He is；〃 Rina said。 〃But… 〃
〃But what？〃 I pulled out a cigarette and fished around for a match。 I knew Monica saw me but she kept her nose buried in the magazine。 〃I'm listening；〃 I said； dragging on the cigarette。
〃Nevada's hocked everything he has to make a picture。 He's been working on it for over a year and now everything's gone wrong and they don't want to release it。〃
〃Why？〃 I asked。 〃Is it a stinker？〃
〃No；〃 she said quickly。 〃It's not that。 It's great。 But only talking pictures are going。 That's all the theaters will play。〃
〃Why didn't he make a talking picture to start with？〃 I asked。
〃He started it more than a year ago。 Nobody expected talkies to e in the way they did；〃 she answered。 〃Now the bank's calling his loan and Norman won't advance any more money。 He claims he's stuck with his own pictures。〃
〃I see；〃 I said。
〃You've got to help him； Jonas。 His whole life is wrapped up in this picture。 If he loses it； he'll never get over it。〃
〃Nevada never cared that much about money；〃 I said。
〃It isn't the money；〃 she said quickly。 〃It's the way he feels about this picture。 He believes in it。 For once； he had a chance to show what the West was really like。〃
〃Nobody gives a damn what the West was really like。〃
〃Did you ever see one of his pictures？〃 she asked。
〃No。〃
A shade of disbelief crept into her voice。 〃Weren't you curious to see what he looked like on the screen？〃
〃Why should I be？〃 I asked。 〃I know what he looks like。〃
Her voice went flat。 〃Are you going to help？〃
〃That's a lot of dough；〃 I said。 〃Why should I？〃
〃I remember when you wanted something real bad and he gave i
